Friday, November 5, 2010

Whatever Happens, You'll Handle It

It's all too easy to live in fear: fear of getting fired, fear of getting dumped, fear of cancer, fear of missing your bus, fear of fear itself.

Certainly the news media doesn't help much, constantly bombarding us with a whole litany of things that we're expected to be afraid of: disease, terrorists, pit bulls, serial killers and sexual deviants, not to mention telling us to be afraid of the air we breathe and the food we eat, and even the sun.

But what's the point? Why waste your mental energies fantasizing about scenarios where something terrible happens to you? That's no way to live. It's doubly true when you consider that the terrible things that people obsess over are either only remotely likely or completely trivial.

When a terrible thought comes to you, ask yourself: What's the worst that could happen? And then ask what's the worst that could happen after that. And after that. Once you reduce the chain of consequences and take a wider view, you'll see that your mountains are merely molehills. If you apply yourself and realize just how much is within your power to change, you'll realize that nothing is ever as bad as you fear.

If anything, the anticipatory fear of an event is far worse than the event itself.

When beset by Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, tell yourself "Whatever happens, I'll handle it." Believe in yourself. You've handled what life has dealt you in the past, the future should be no different.